Former New York Knick Fired From Pricey Head Coach Spot

The Detroit Pistons have sent New York Knicks draft pick Monty Williams on an expensive summer vacation.

The Pistons removed Williams from his role of head coach on Wednesday, cutting the Knicks’ 1994 first-round pick loose after the first part of a six-year, $78 million contract. It’s the latest managerial shift in the Pistons’ offices as they seek to drag themselves out one of the most dread stretches in NBA history.

“Decisions like these are difficult to make, and I want to thank Monty for his hard work and dedication,” Pistons owner Tom Gores said in a Wednesday statement. “Coaching has many dynamic challenges that emerge during a season and Monty always handled those with grace.  However, after reviewing our performance carefully and assessing our current position as an organization, we will chart a new course moving forward.”

Williams, 52, was hired by the Pistons shortly after his ousting from the Phoenix Suns, who reached the NBA Finals under his watch in 2021. The eight-figure deal bestowed to him was one of the most expensive in NBA history and has set a benchmark for Detroit’s NBA brethren, which could include the Knicks amidst reported of a long-term contarct negotiations involving Tom Thibodeau.

The Pistons are engaged in a lengthy rebuild but the bottom fell out this past season, as they won only 14 games and posted a franchise-worst winning percentage at .171. Detroit now carries one of three head coaching vacancies (along with Cleveland and the Los Angeles Lakers) with the NBA Draft only one week away. The Pistons are picking fifth despite holding the top odds for the No. 1 choice at the NBA Draft Lottery.

Williams’ successor faces a tall task: the Pistons’ five-year winning percentage of .245 (94-290) is third-worst in NBA history according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Their active five-year playoff drought is tied with San Antonio for second-longest in the NBA and they haven’t won a playoff series in 16 years, also the second-longest active dire streak.

Prior to his coaching endeavors (which also included a stop with the New Orleans Pelicans), Williams was named the 24th pick in the 1994 draft by the Knicks. He would spend his first two NBA seasons in Manhattan before also appearing with San Antonio, Denver, Orlando, and Philadelphia.

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